Brett Lee walks in and asks in a very matter of fact manner: "Are you expecting someone?" It helps break the ice immediately.
He carries no fast-bowler snarl with him. Rather it's that smiling face you see, back home in India on advertisement hoardings of a watch company he endorses, which greets the media gathering.
With Australia coming into the tri-series with an 18-member squad and a pre-planned rotation policy, Brett Lee has played in only one of the three games.
"Not everyone was going to get to play three or four matches. So there's no way you can get into rhythm right away," he says. "On a personal note, it was great to get back into Australian colours. I was more than happy with the way the ball came out the other night."
Arguably the world's fastest bowler, Lee revealed he is also a smooth talker as he expressed his views without a moment's hesitation.
On the Indian pacemen: They have bowlers who can do the job. I am actually pleased that Ajit Agarkar is back in the side. I think he's got a lot to give to Indian cricket. He is a fantastic bowler and I think the way he has revamped himself and got back into the squad is credit to him. He has got a lot to offer to Indian cricket.
On Mitchell Johnson: He is a fantastic find for Australia. Mitchell Johnson is an awesome bowler. He loves to listen and learn. He has bowled so much over the past twelve to 18 months and the way he bowled the other night was fantastic. Big things are happening for Johnson. Over the next 12 to 18 months, there is a lot in it for him. The most important thing about him is his ability to bowl fast. He has showed that he wants to bowl fast. He is also consistent in his line and length.
On Glenn McGrath: It's been quite some time since we played in the same team. He is obviously very happy to be back. I'm looking forward very much to playing a lot more with Glenn. He has taken up to 900 or 1,000 combined wickets for Australia. His knowledge around the side is fantastic.
The way he interacts with team members is just great. I have always enjoyed bowling with Glenn, the way he ties up a batman on one side. He has always got that aura about him. When Glenn goes out on the field, batsmen are always wary about him.
On Sachin Tendulkar: If you want to be a better person or a better player, you push your self up against the best and he is, in my eyes, up there with (Brian) Lara and (Ricky) Ponting. He is among the top-three batsman around the world. He is a class act, the little master, and I definitely look forward towards playing against him more. The other day in his comeback game he came out and hit 141. It was fantastic.
On the Australian bowling attack: Shane Warne is definitely the king. Glenn is our strike bowler. Me and Jason (Gillespie) and (Michael) Kasprowicz have been around for a while. There are, of course, a few other bowlers coming along. It gives us variety in that we don't always have the same bowlers running in. To play the best cricket that is going around, you have to have players pushing for a place in the squad. It's a healthy sign. All the senior bowlers who are part of the bowling cartel have passed on a fair bit to the young guys who are coming through.
- NIHAL KOSHIE